The shape of photography
The "carte de visite" (visiting card) was a photographic format that originated in France in 1854 and gained global popularity from 1860. These were small portraits (6x9 cm) exchanged among family and friends much like a modern-day business
The portraits were very expensive
While traditional portraiture was often expensive, visiting cards offered a more affordable alternative. Their popularity soared, and soon they featured also images of celebrities, city views, and more. This led to the creation of special albums designed to collect and display them.
How do visiting cards get to Lima?
The "visiting card” was introduced to Peru by Félix Carbillet in 1859 and was widely received for 17 years. In this period, the large photographic studios were successful because the society in Lima enjoyed the prosperity of the “guano era” and their services were in demand.
A good business
According to El Comercio, in 1871, in one day, 500 cards were sold. This portrait of an unidentified bride and groom (1864 ca.) is from the studio of the French photographer E. Courret, one of the most important of the time.
"The Siamese"
Other photographers with prominence were from the United States of America. One of them was Richardson. This visiting card shows a “Siamese” portrait (the same person twice in the same shot), of an unidentified person, (ca 1866).
The photographic studios. Rise and competition.
Leading the photography scene were renowned studios like Maunoury, Garreaud, Courret, and Richardson. Competition was fierce, and by 1860, visiting cards were a staple offering for all. Studios even attempted to control prices by agreement, but the War with Chile ultimately led to the closure of most of them.
Exquisite decorations
They used props and scenery in their studios, such as balustrades, curtains, columns, and pedestals. (A closer look at the elements). At the start of the war with Chile, many photographers left. Only Courret remained until 1902, and in Arequipa, the studio of Carlos Heldt.
Pedro, Manuel and José Gálvez
Pedro, Manuel, and José Gálvez (standing on the left) photographed by the studio of Maunoury, a French photographer active in Lima from 1862-1865. His studio quickly became fashionable; he claimed to be associated with Nadar, a celebrity photographer in Paris.
Portrait of Andrés Avelino Cáceres (ca. 1880/1885).
Andrés Avelino Cáceres (Approximately between 1880 and 1885) by Carlos HeldtNational Library of Peru
Portrait of Andrés Avelino Cáceres (ca. 1880/1885). Visiting cards were produced in other parts of the country as well, this image is from the Arequipa photography studio of Carlos Heldt, a German photographer.
Portraits of the time and its characters
These cards captured portraits of people who lived during the era of guano prosperity, a period marked by the extravagance of politicians and those in power. In them, we observe, for example, families, professionals, clergymen, the fashion of the time, among other elements.
[Portrait of girl with unidentified mistress] ([186-? o 187-?]) by Courret Hermanos (Lima)National Library of Peru
Portrait of a girl
From Courret's studio
Photographers also used “props” for their scenes, such as furniture, balustrades, columns, etc. Here we see a girl on an armchair and behind her her mistress wearing dark clothes different from European fashion.
Portrait of Antonio Raimondi. Lima, ca. 1864/1869
Photograph of the Italian-Peruvian researcher, naturalist and explorer. The photography is from the Negretti studio, also Italian, which assumed management of Garreaud's studio when he left Peru.
Charcoal photograph of unidentified clergyman
Popular in the 1800s, charcoal portraits are artistically enhanced photographs made with charcoal, ink or pastels. Castillo, one of the authors of this photograph, was from Piura, he joined the reserve army during the war with Chile and after that he was the only competition for Courret as the other studios.
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